Perfect World
by SakuHeart
Summary: In the battle against Kaguya Otsutsuki, their teammate and sensei fell. After being given an opportunity to fix everything, Sasuke and Naruto play with the fabrics of time in a desperate attempt to save the world. But Sasuke still wants to create his Perfect World. Time Travel. SasuSaku and NaruHina. Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**Chapter 1**

It was so odd, fighting in a different dimension. But Sasuke couldn't think about that. He paid no attention to the greenish sky or purple sand. He ignored the strangeness of the complicated setting of this battle. His only focus was the Rabbit Goddess herself, trying to figure out a plan to stop her and the being that was Black Zetsu.

Kaguya Otsutsuki - the mother of chakra - was an unbeatable foe. Their chances of winning were slim but Sasuke and Naruto knew that all they had to do was seal her. Well, it wasn't as simple as that but they had a chance to actually win.

Obito had sadly died but he protected his former teammate, and Kakashi fought back with a blue Susano'o using his double Sharingan. They had been able to tame the accidental transformation that came over Kaguya - that fierce rabbit version of the Ten-Tails. Despite this, when she shrunk back to original size, she still remained strong and repelled their efforts to get close to her.

When she attacked Sasuke with her Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack, he felt as if his body was shaking from the multiple chakra fists colliding into his body. He tried to use the Susano'o to protect him but the constant attack of the fists destroyed it. If he was not on the receiving end, he would of been impressed. So, he was sent flying to the ground. He felt the wind knock out of him and he couldn't move for the moment.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura exclaimed, jumping out of Kakashi's Susano'o and landing on the ground. She ran towards Sasuke, getting there as fast she could to heal him. Kaguya was holding off Naruto but she saw the Uchiha in his weakened state. She watched as the pinkette ran to him. With a simple stretch of her arm, she unleashed her All-Killing Ash Bones technique towards the two.

Sasuke couldn't move. His body was sore from the attacks he had somehow survived from. He could hear Sakura coming towards him but looked on in agitated concern at the projectiles being thrown in his direction.

Sakura pumped chakra into her feet, hoping to get there to save him. When she was close enough, she dove to push them both out of the line of fire. They skidded across the ground for a second, their bodies rolling over the other. The kunoichi landed on top of him but she moved away slowly, allowing him to sit up.

"Are you okay, Sasuke-kun?" She asked, her voice just above a whisper.

"I'm fine!" He snapped, annoyed at the pain he was feeling. Why did she need to be so aggressive in saving him? And to be saved by Sakura, of all people? Granted, that was her job as a medical ninja but he was left feeling embarrassed at the event.

"I'm glad." She sounded weird so he turned to her and raised an eyebrow at her smiling face. He felt as if there were too many implications in the few words she had just said. Her head was close to his shoulder, as if she was wondering if she should put her head on it like before (another thing that annoyed him about her was her constant need for comfort).

Then, he noticed it. The bone lodged into her side. Instinctively, he put his arms around her and looked fearfully into her eyes. She was still smiling when her body disintegrated into ash. It fell through his fingers and he watched in shocked silence as his teammate died.

The ash was scattered on the ground but there was no wind to move it, he wouldn't see it drift in the air. Sakura was now a pile on the floor, as if she was never a person. She was gone.

Sasuke eventually moved his sight away from the remnants of his teammate's body and looked at Kaguya with cold eyes. The Goddess regarded him with curiosity and Naruto and Kakashi had descended to the ground, shocked that the pinkette was no more.

The Uchiha glared at the Otsutsuki. She had killed Sakura. The only woman who claimed to love him, she had killed her with no second thought. He readied his Chidori. He was an avenger, and he had just added another name to his list.

* * *

The fight seemed to have no end. Naruto had caught his second wind and was fighting Kaguya with all his might, tears streaming down his face. Now, even if they did win, Team Seven was no more.

It made Naruto angry and sad, much like he had been when Jiraiya died. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. They had to win, and then Sakura and Sasuke would get married and they would all return to Konoha. Now, that was nothing but a mere dream, an illusion that would only play in the Infinite Tsukiyomi.

Kakashi also fought, but distress was evident in his face at losing his student. He hadn't protected Rin or Obito and now he had failed one of his students. He could now understand the urge his father had, he never related more.

Sasuke was mad. He wanted to _kill _Kaguya, not just seal her. He wished she would bleed, her red liquid should splatter onto the ground and the life should drain out of her eyes ever so slowly. Even so, he would still not be satisfied.

They were losing. One time, they had gotten close enough to seal her and she flew upwards, avoiding their hands. She wouldn't give them another chance. So, she transformed into the Ten-Tails and attacked them in her mighty form.

Kakashi's double Sharingan had disappeared and he stood in Naruto's Kurama form, not helping out as much as the rivals. But what could he do? This fight was out of his league.

Eventually, they couldn't continue fighting but they tried. Sasuke watched, sprawled out on the ground, as Kakashi tried to stand. However, an All-Ash Killing Bone pierced into his back and he faded to ash, much like Sakura did.

Naruto was next. Kaguya formed a Truth-Seeker Orb and created a new dimension. The blonde was forced into the portal and now there was no hope in him returning. Obito and Sakura were dead, providing no gate or chakra source.

Sasuke knew he would lose. So there was no point in trying. He couldn't avenge Sakura, or Kakashi. Kaguya had won and the world was doomed. The greedy bitch could take all the chakra in the world and Hagoromo nor Hamura were here to stop her.

Suddenly, he saw a bright light and he was taken back to the battlefield of the war. He was standing next to the Divine Tree, people hanging from the branches, living a lie they wish was real. He hoped they were enjoying their wildest dreams, they would never be allowed out of them.

Beside him stood Naruto. The boy had powered down from his Kyuubi Chakra mode and looked extremely confused. Scratching his head, he wondered how he came out of the alternate dimension.

In front of the two of them, The Sage of the Six Paths was floating. "This isn't how the story was supposed to go." He said.

"Black Zetsu said it was." Sasuke replied, ignoring Naruto's quizzical look. If what the former Akatsuki member said was true, he had orchestrated all the events that led up to his point, just so he could revive the violent Goddess.

"No!" The blonde exclaimed. "We can write our own history!"

"Shut up, Naruto!" Sasuke snapped, eyeing the boy with sudden anger. "Sakura and Kakashi are both dead-"

"So, we should stop Kaguya!" The jinchuriki interrupted. "Then she won't be able to hurt anybody else!"

"Sakura and Kakashi were both supposed to be alive so they could aid you two in the fight with my mother." Hagoromo interjected before the two could continue arguing.

"We've lost." Sasuke sighed and looked up into the sky. _So much for my perfect world... _He thought.

"That's it, then?" Naruto whispered, not wanting to admit defeat.

"It isn't." The creator of ninshu stated. The boys looked at him strangely. "You two can rewrite history."

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked, although Sasuke seemed to have his suspicions about what the old man was alluding to.

"Time travel." The Sage revealed, confirming Sasuke's suspicions. "I will send the two of you back in time to prevent the revival of my mother."

"You can do that?!" The blonde was excited. They could stop all of this from happening.

"I will not." The Uchiha said, narrowing his eyes. He did not want to relive this shitty life. He just wanted everything to stop.

"Teme, we have to!" Naruto exploded, slightly shocking his teammate. "Stop being such a stubborn bastard, and let's go save the world!"

"You two are humanity's last hope." Hagoromo added. "You can fix any mistakes, Sakura and Kakashi will not die and the whole war could be prevented."

Kurama's host felt the need to beg Sasuke to agree. They could right so many wrongs, prevent so many deaths and...

_Teme won't leave. _He thought.

Sasuke was hesitant. Who's to say this wouldn't end with their failure? What if there were so many repurcussions that everything turned on its head? However, the idea of seeing his family again was appealing. He would see his parents, Itachi and the Uchiha Massacre would never happen. The only woman who claimed she loved him and meant it would still be alive.

"...I'll do it." He finally agreed, causing Naruto to let out a triumphant cheer.

"Good. Your Indra and Asura marks will fade once you travel through time, meaning that your Rinnegan," He looked at Sasuke. "And your Six Paths Senjutsu," He looked at Naruto. "Will disappear. Kurama, you will also be going along with them."

**"As it should be."** The beast replied from within Naruto.

"So, I'll get to use Kyubi Chakra Mode from a young age?" The jinchuriki asked, stars in his eyes.

The Sage frowned. "Yes, the two of you will keep your techniques but you shall not use the ones that young academy students should not know. Nobody can know that you two travelled through time, it will have disastrous consequences."

Sasuke nodded, as it made sense. Obviously, Naruto complained, causing the Uchiha to grunt, annoyed. He was crying about using a Bijuu but it was difficult for Sasuke also. He would have to hide his Mangekyo Sharingan and even his fully matured Sharingan for a while. This would be difficult.

Furthermore, he would have to act on his plan for a perfect world behind Naruto's back. If the Dobe found out, a colossal battle would ensue and halt Sasuke's plans.

"It is time." Hagoromo said, causing the boys to straighten up. "The future is in your hands."

* * *

Sasuke assumed a huge beacon of light would burst out from his body and he would be sent hurdling back in time, like a metorite crashing down to earth. Instead, he blinked and he was in a bed. His childhood bed, to be exact.

His body was smaller - a lot smaller - and he barely took up any space. When he sat up and hopped off the bed, he felt as if he was falling off a cliff, that's how much smaller he had become.

Looking in the mirror, he almost gagged at the sight of himself. He looked like an innocent, clueless, little boy. A boy with the power to kill everyone in this village. People would expect him to know nothing about the horrors ninja faced, but he now knew them more than anyone.

He activated his Sharingan. Three tomoe span in his eyes. Showing his fully developed Sharingan was risky. A genjutsu wouldn't conceal it so he would have to figure out an excuse. He then activated his Eternal Magekyo Sharingan. The three intersecting ellipses in his eyes was a different story. He couldn't show a single person this side of his Kekkei Genkai. Sasuke didn't exactly miss his Rinnegan. The idea of having one pleased him but how would he explain it to his family?

His family. They were all alive. The Uchiha Massacre never happened.

His breath hitched in his throat at the thought of this. They were all alive, and he could keep it that way. He didn't exactly know how to interact with them. Sasuke as a five year old (he guessed) was a whiny, brother-obsessed ninja in training who was deathly afraid of his father, though he didn't care to admit. Despite this irrational fear, he felt the urge to prove himself to his father. As for his mother, Mikoto showered him with unconditional love and affection.

Itachi was a whole other story. He knew the truth about what had happened (what will happen?) with the Uchiha Massacre. So, his first targets would be the elders so they wouldn't propose the idea. Furthermore, he had to figure out how to stop the coup d'etat his clan was preparing.

"Otouto." His bedroom door opened and he froze on the spot. His back was to the door so he couldn't see his brother. Hesitantly, he rotated his body and took in the site of this younger version of his older brother. His brother who loved him and turned him into an avenger. It was odd, looking at him wearing normal clothes rather than an Akatsuki cloak or a red cloak worn by Reanimated ninja.

"Itachi..." He unintentionally breathed. Said man narrowed his eyes at his brother. Sasuke felt the urge to punch himself. Five minutes in the past and he already was screwing things up. "Aniki!" He correctly exclaimed, refusing to blush at his actions. "What is it?" He asked, trying to put on an innocent facade.

"Kaa-san has breakfast ready." The older of the two informed the other, hints of a frown etched onto his face. After a brief pause, he left the room.

Sasuke exhaled. He needed to get used to them, this was supposed to be normal. He felt stressed already about saving the world, he didn't want to add family issues on top of that. So, he just needed to act normal with them. That seemed easy enough. Then, he would meet up with Naruto at the Academy and they would discuss their plans for the future.

* * *

Naruto woke up in his apartment and it took him a moment to process what was going on. When everything clicked, he jumped up in the air with delight.

"I'll fix everything, believe it!" He shouted, looking around his kitchen for food. When the instant ramen pots came into his line of sight, he almost cried. He hadn't had ramen in _so _long. It just seemed like a crime to not eat them right then.

After eating, he decided to go explore the Konoha that existed when he was younger. While it looked fairly the same - excluding everything that had changed after Pein's invasion - he was excited nonetheless.

_I have to go find Teme! _He thought, trying to remember where the Uchiha District was.

Suddenly, he felt a chakra signature nearby. However, he was standing on the street, all alone. That's when he remembered that the Third Hokage always had an Anbu watching him, just in case Kurama decided to kill everyone in Konoha.

**"I can hear you, you know?" **The beast growled. Naruto came face to face with his friend and beamed at him.

_Kurama, look at us! We're young and we're friends_! He gave the fox a thumbs up.

**"Who said we were friends?" **He was quick to defend himself. **"I only tolerate you."** The blonde decided to leave the Kyubi alone, and went in search for the Uchiha District.

He was very careful about doing anything suspicious since an Anbu was following him. This meant that he would have to talk to the Old Man and get him to stop having somebody follow him. If he and Sasuke were not allowed to tell anybody about time travel, then a ninja following him everyday was bound to be a problem.

"Excuse me?" Naruto asked a woman once he got near the shopping district. She gave him a look of disgust before stalking off, muttering curses under her breath. The blonde frowned, having forgotten about this little issue. This meant that nobody would help him and that made things a lot harder.

**"Fool." **Kurama commented.

_Hey!_ Naruto was offended.

**"Aren't you supposed to be at the Academy? And won't the Uchiha brat be there?"** After a brief pause, the host smiled.

_Kurama, you're a genius!_ He told the beast.

**"I know."**

With a sudden skip in his step, Naruto made his way to the Academy.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**Chapter 2**

Mikoto Uchiha was known by many, and not just because she was married to the head of the Uchiha Clan. She was a kind, gentle soul who looked at the best in people. The most important people in her life were her husband and her sons. She always wanted to know if they were alright, which is why she was so concerned about her youngest son.

Sasuke was acting strange. He sat quietly at the table, rather than asking Itachi a multitude of questions about training and missions. When she gave him his food, he mumbled a "thanks" and began eating with his head down. She and her eldest exchanged strange looks at his behaviour. When he finished eating, he got up and left without saying a word.

Mikoto frowned. Usually, he waited for Fugaku to sit with them before leaving. If his father was busy, he would pout and wait for Itachi to finish so he could force his brother to take him to the Academy. Something was definitely going on.

"Maybe he's being bullied." The Uchiha matriarch said to her son.

Itachi frowned. "Who would bully Sasuke? Most of the girls like him and the boys are too scared to try anything."

Mikoto sighed. She would have to speak to him and figure out what was wrong.

* * *

Naruto ignored the dirty looks he received as he skipped to the Academy. He didn't care about them, one day they would see him as a hero. Plus, he had more pressing concerns than his popularity.

The one person he wanted to see more than anything was Sakura. She was alive, he was sure of it, but he needed to see it with his own eyes. At this point, he believed she hated him because of her crush on Sasuke (something he did not want to see again). Even so, just seeing her was enough for him.

The blonde walked into their classroom and looked to see if there was anyone he knew. Fair enough, Shikamaru was sleeping at the back of the room next to Chouji - who was happily munching on some potato chips. Ino was standing around, probably waiting for Sasuke so she could sit next to him.

Only two members of Team Eight were in the room. Shino was sitting quietly next to the window and Hinata sat near the front. When Naruto looked at her, he saw that she was staring at him. When she got caught, her face turned red and she quickly looked away.

The jinchuriki thought nothing of it and continued scanning the classroom. At the back - opposite side to Shikamaru and Chouji - sat a lonely girl with pink hair. Sakura had bangs and she stared at the desk, as if it was the most interesting thing in the world.

_Wait, why is she covering her forehead? And why aren't she and Ino talking? I thought they were friends at this point. _Naruro scratched his head.

**"Idiot." **Kurama said. **"Even I remember that Sakura was shy before she became friends with Ino."**

_How do you remember that?! _The blonde questioned his Bijuu.

**"I spent seventeen years talking to no one in here. There was nothing to do except enjoy school drama and sip the tea." **The beast replied.

Naruto didn't exacly know what the fox meant about tea, but he ignored it. Sakura being shy was a new development and he would have to ask Sasuke what to do about her.

Speaking of the Teme, he arrived and poked Naruto on the back. "Dobe, let's sit." He said, walking passed him. He did a quick scan of the classroom - noticing that Sakura was alive but looked different - and decided it made sense for him and Naruto to sit at the back. "At the back." He told Naruto, who agreed.

"Sakura-chan!" The blonde cheered, causing the girl to look at him with curious eyes. "Mind if we sit here?"

"Y- yes. I mean, No! ...You can sit there." She mumbled the ending, heat rising to her cheeks.

Sasuke didn't remember her like this. There were some times where she wanted to talk to him but suddenly ran off, but that was when she used a ribbon to hold up her hair, showing off her forehead. Now that he thought about it, it was strange looking at her forehead without the Strength of a Hundred Seal. It was quite odd how this shy, little girl became such a monster of a woman.

"Stop at staring at her." Naruto whispered with a perverted wiggle of his eyebrows. Sasuke smacked his head in response. "Ow!"

"Naruro, stop making such a racket!" Iruka yelled, walking into the classroom.

"I didn't-"

"Quiet!" The teacher shouted one last time.

The blonde shrunk into his seat. This was bad. They travelled through time to the point where Iruka hated him. Of course, that was because Kurama had killed Iruka's parents. It took a little while for the two of them to establish the brother-like relationship they had.

They had a pop quiz that lesson. Naruto was glad he knew most of the answers. That already meant he was supposed to be Hokage, right?

Some of the girls looked at Sakura with disgust, as she was the one sitting near Sasuke. When she noticed somebody glaring daggers at her, she shuffled and focused on her work. One of the people who were making her uncomfortable was Ino. Sasuke frowned upon realising this, wondering if this action would have huge consequences on their relationship.

When the students were given a break to play outside, Naruto and Sasuke sat behind a tree to discuss certain matters.

"So, you're saying that an Anbu member follows you when you aren't at the Academy?" Sasuke asked the Dobe, who nodded his head.

"I just have to ask Jiji to stop." Naruto replied.

"Idiot. That would be highly suspicious." The Uchiha replied, racking his brain for a solution.

**"Oi, brats." **Kurama growled, communicating with the two of them. Sasuke frowned at what the fox called him. **"Let me talk to the old fart. I can convince him to stop."**

"You can't talk to him!" The blonde exclaimed, outraged. "We're not supposed to tell anyone."

"He won't." The Sharingan user said, taking the beast's side. "He just has to say that the two of you bonded-"

**"We did not bond!"**

"And then he won't be suspicious." He finished.

"I guess..." Naruto sighed. He still thought it was dangerous, and who was to say that Hiruzen would believe the Kyubi? It might actually lead to more Anbu guards around him, watching his movements constantly.

"Now onto more pressing concerns..." Sasuke began but was interrupted by a cry.

"L- leave me alone!" It was Sakura and she sounded like she was crying. The boys looked at each other with their eyebrows raised before standing up and following her voice.

"Look at your big forehead!" A girl, Ame, said, flicking Sakura. The pinkette's face went red and tears were streaming down her face. "A big baby with a big forehead."

"Is Forehead sad?" Another girl mocked her. She then flicked Sakura just as her friend had done. The future member of Team Seven turned to run away but somebody pushed her to the floor.

Ino stood above her, hands on her hips. "Where are you going, Forehead?" She smirked at the girl on the floor, feeling superior.

"Hey, leave her alone!" Naruto yelled, running at the group of girls. Sasuke followed him, narrowing his eyes at the scene before him.

"Sasuke-kun!" The girls, except Ino, chorused. The female blonde had the decency to look ashamed of her actions.

The group of girls ran towards the Uchiha, asking him out and trying to cling to him. He shrugged them all off and walked over to Sakura, who was sniffing on the floor. Her hand was gripping her elbow in obvious pain. He crouched down to her level.

"Sasuke-kun, she's okay." Ame said, disliking the attention the boy had on Sakura. "But my arm really hurts!" The girl lied, causing all the other girls to follow her lead. Naruto glared at all of them.

"Are you okay?" Sasuke asked Sakura, who looked at him as if he were an alien. "Your arm, is it hurting?"

"Um..." She wondered if she should lie here. If she said yes, Sasuke would think she was weak. But her arm _was _hurting so she didn't want to lie. "I think it's a graze." She rolled up her sleeve and revealed her red skin, as a result of the fall.

Ino watched their interaction in silence. Sasuke grabbed her hand and took her inside, escorting her to the nurse's office. Sakura didn't look happy, she seemed more stunned than anything. Naruto watched the two of them with a smile on his face before shooting a disapproving look to the girls who had picked on her.

* * *

Sasuke wondered if he had made the right decision. Jealousy would heat up even more within the girls if he continued interacting with Sakura. But the last time Sasuke had seen her, she had died in his arms. So who could blame him for showing care (his own version of care) for her?

This only meant that they would have to teach her to fight back. At this point, Sakura was barely a ninja. She would learn how to utilise the Academy basics but her physical prowess would be low. He and Naruto could change that. They also needed to train themselves, and get used to the young versions of their bodies. On top of that, learning new techniques would not be bad either.

The younger version of him would annoy his brother until he finally agreed to train him. Instead, Sasuke decided the best teacher for all of them would be Shisui Uchiha. He was a talented fighter and, though he refused to admit it, probably more skilled than his brother.

Naruto would obviously be on board. All they had to do was befriend Sakura and then have her train with them.

After dropping her off at the nurse, he went back outside to find Naruto smiling gleefully. "Shut up, Dobe." He said, walking passed the boy.

"I'm not saying anything, Teme." The blonde replied, walking alongside him. They went back to the tree they were hanging around before. "What were you saying?" He asked.

"The Uchiha Massacre..." Sasuke lowered his voice. "To avoid it, we must kill the elders."

"Whoa!" Naruto exclaimed, causing the other to glare at him. The boy also lowered his voice. "We can't do that. There has to be another way."

"There isn't. Danzo will propose the idea and they will agree."

"Then... Just kill Danzo." The jinchuriki felt dirty even saying it. "Leave the others."

"Koharu and Homura are also a threat." Sasuke replied. "I'm willing to let the Sandaime live."

"How _nice _of you." Naruto sarcastically said. "You can't just go about killing people."

"This is to stop the killing of my clan by my own brother. It needs to be done."

"The Massacre doesn't happen for another three years, right? We can figure out an alternative until then." Naruto suggested, causing Sasuke to sigh and ultimately agree.

"Fine. But you'll see, they will bring more problems that we aren't ready to face."

* * *

Naruto was nervous. He didn't know what to say to the Third Hokage.

Not only did Sasuke say he was to let Hiruzen know of the bond that formed between him and Kurama, he was to force the Sandaime to tell him who his parents were.

He remembered asking in his own timeline, only to get shot down. He never understood why it was kept from him. Everybody seemed to know he was a jinchuriki, what harm was going to come to him if they knew who his father was?

_Okay, maybe I'll be an even bigger target than before. But they could have at least told me! I wouldn't have told anyone! _

As usual, everyone ignored Naruto as he walked through the Hokage Tower. It wasn't exactly special treatment, it was more like nobody was bothered enough to stop him, but the blonde liked to think that it was.

Hesistantly, he knocked on the door and heard a gruff "come in." Hiruzen was sitting at his desk, stacks of paperwork covered his face from the Uzumaki's view.

"Um... Jiji?" Naruto asked, standing on his tippy toes as if that would let him see the Hokage.

"Naruto, what is it?" The Sandaime asked, moving the paperwork so he could see the young boy.

"I'm not really the one who wants to talk to you..." He began, not knowing how to start. "...Kurama?"

**"Nice to see you again, you old fart." **The beast spoke to the Hokage from within Naruto. **"I still remember how you fought against me five years ago. Impressive for an old man."**

"Naruto!" Hiruzen exclaimed, standing up just in case he transformed.

"Wait! He's nice!" The blonde cried, hoping to calm the old man down. He gave the child an odd look, obviously confused.

**"The kid's right. I'm a fucking delight." **Kurama continued. **"I've been watching this brat for a long time. He's so stupid that it's painful to watch him fight without any power or advice."**

"Hey!"

**"The idiot wants to be Hokage and... it would be fun to help him get there."**

The Third listened to the fox, his expression changing a few times. None of them could be deciphered by Naruto.

"The seal broke." The blue-eyed boy blurted out.

"Naruto!" Hiruzen shouted, eyes wide in panic. "Do you realise what could've happened?!"

**"Relax. I don't want to destroy Konoha." **The Nine-Tails said, yawning as if this was the most boring conversation he had ever had.

"Then what do you want, Kyubi?" The sensei of the sannin asked.

**"I want to help the brat become Hokage... And I want this conversation to be kept between the three of us."**

"And we want the Anbu member you having following me to stop." Naruto added, causing Hiruzen to give him an odd look. "It makes me feel like I can't do stuff!" He quickly defended himself.

"Naruto... This is a lot to take in." The Third needed a drink. He never actually wanted to drink in his entire life, always dreading when Jiraiya and Tsunade would force him, but he really needed one right now.

"Everything's fine, Jiji. Kurama and I are friends, believe it!" Naruto replied. "Kurama is the Kyubi's name, by the way."

"Is there anything else, Naruto?" The old man pinched the bridge of his nose.

"No." The blonde replied, believing that it was too soon to bring up his parentage. With an awkward bow, he left the room and decided to go to Ichiraku. If he played his cards right, he could get a free bowl of ramen.

* * *

When Sasuke got home, he was aware of the strange looks his mother was sending him. His father and brother arrived later than him. This was the first time he had seen his father since...

Well, since he saw his dead body on the ground.

"Sasuke, dinner!" Mikoto yelled for her son. He had secluded himself in his room, plotting secretly about how to save the world (what normal five year olds do) but he shuffled out for his mother's cooking. She was a good cook, he missed the food she would make him.

He could have that now.

"Well done." Fugaku said to Itachi just as Sasuke entered the room. He sat at his side of the table and waited patiently for his food. "Sasuke, what did you do at the Academy today?" His father asked.

The young boy was about to give his father a confused expression, but he advised against it. "Not much." He decided to answer, looking away from his eyes straight after.

"We may have to talk to the teachers, they need to teach you the important things-" Fugaku was cut off by his wife humming in the kitchen.

Sasuke almost frowned, but caught himself before he did so. This seemed to be some sort of plan between his parents, they must have noticed something strange about his behaviour. He just needed them to understand that this was the new normal. He wasn't sociable or happy, he went through a trauma and travelling through time wouldn't fix that, even though he got them back. The sight of their dead bodies would never leave his mind.

"Well, I made a new friend." Sasuke added, hoping to lighten the atmosphere.

"That's nice, Sasuke." Mikoto replied from where she was standing. She then brought their plates to the table and the family began to eat. "Tell us about them. What's their name?"

"His name is Naruto." The youngest thought their was no harming in telling them. He and the Dobe would be seen a lot together, so it seemed natural for the two to be known as friends.

Itachi regarded his brother with curious eyes. With his strange behaviour in the morning, not jumping for joy at their father's attention - that was orchestrated by their mother - and befriending the Kyubi's host, Sasuke seemed like an entirely different person from how he was the day before.

That was... concerning. Itachi decided he would keep closer tabs on his brother.

Sasuke looked at his brother in the eyes. He could tell what he was thinking, and now he had to be extra careful.

He hoped his brother wouldn't take it hard once he asked Shisui to train him.

* * *

During the night, Sasuke snuck out of the Uchiha Compound. He wore all black clothes that he had bought during the day. He concealed his face with a black mask and hid his hands with black gloves. He had a job to do.

Firstly, he went into Koharu Utatane's house. She was fast asleep in her room. Activating his Mangekyo Sharingan, he tapped her head and her eyes shot open only to be caught in a genjutsu immediately after. Sasuke didn't give her time to break it as he plunged a kunai right into her heart.

Next, Homura Mitokado. He also lived alone so it was easy to infiltrate his house. He did the same as he did to Koharu and the second elder was no more.

After that, he went to see Danzo Shimura. The leader of Root was the hardest to find but Sasuke was skilled enought to find it. He slept in his bunker, like a man who was scared he would be asassinated any minute.

"Who are you?" Danzo asked, ruining the Uchiha's element of surprise.

_No point in beating around the bush. _He activated his Mangekyo Sharingan once again. _Amaterasu!_

Black flames surrounded Danzo's body. He began to scream, wondering how he had been caught in such an attack. Sasuke didn't stay to watch him die, he left before people could arrive onto the scene due to the man's screams of death.

He went to a secluded part of the village and burnt all of his clothes, discarding the kunai he used to kill the other elders. Then he went home and fell asleep, content with how he had spent his night.

_Naruto's going to be pissed. _He almost laughed at the thought.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**Chapter 3**

Needless to say, Naruto was pissed. He had told Sasuke to stop, to play the waiting game and everything would turn out fine. Now the elders were dead and Konoha was a mess.

Their were ninja jumping around the entire village, all looking distressed and in a panic. He asked one what had happened but they told him not to worry about it. Then, he went to the Academy and they had to do a three minute silence for their fallen elders. He glared at the Uchiha throughout the entire silence, who didn't seem to care at all.

Naruto wanted to pull out all of his hair and then shave off Sasuke's. What the hell happened to baby steps? They hadn't been back for long and he had already made such a huge decision. A huge, non-mutual decision.

_Now, with the elders gone, who knows what's going to happen! _He thought.

**"Yes, because they already did so much to help in the past." **Kurama replied.

His host scratched his head. To be honest, he didn't even know who the council were in his timeline. He always assumed they were just... there. Maybe the only thing that would change was the Uchiha Massacre, and Sasuke would have his family, which meant that he wouldn't brood and claim to be an avenger every five minutes.

He was still mad at the bastard. They were supposed to be a team. This wasn't an "every man for himself" type of situation, they were trying to save the world. Kakashi had taught him things other than the Chidori. The bell test was a significant part of their time as Team Seven. They needed teamwork.

Naruto smirked when he realised they would have to do the bell test again at some point. He was going to annoy the hell out of him during the test. He only had seven years to plan it.

* * *

When Sasuke had woken up, he and Itachi were both told by their mother to not disturb their father at all since something urgent had popped up. They nodded their heads in understanding and the eldest walked his brother to school after they had eaten breakfast.

"Is something bothering you, Otouto?" Itachi had asked, not turning his head to look at whom he had addressed.

"No, Aniki. Why?" He responded.

"No reason." And then they stayed silent for the rest of the walk.

Once Sasuke got to class, his teammate wasn't shooting daggers at him, so it seemed that he didn't know about the elders. But then, Iruka told them upon arriving to class and he could feel the heat of the blonde's glare.

He didn't feel bad for lying to Naruto. Frankly, he didn't even see it as lying since he hadn't actually said anything to his teammate, he just went with the plan he had formed in his head. He didn't tell the truth, but he didn't lie either.

The Dobe didn't understand. They needed to neutralise the threat before they could do anything worse. The elders weren't allowed to plant the seeds of destruction, this was the only way to stop the Uchiha Massacre. Sasuke thought that maybe the jinchuriki would come to this conclusion, but he could still feel his glare. He would just have to live with it, it wasn't as if he could travel through time and change everything. Again.

* * *

"I can't believe you did it..." Naruto whispered at the usual tree they sat at. They received odd looks from people but they ignored them.

"It needed to be done." The Uchiha simply replied. "Now Shisui can use his Kotoamastukami to stop the coup d'etat and my clan will not be massacred."

"You spared Jiji?" The jinchuriki asked, wondering about his reasons for this.

"He showed regret when he was reanimated." Naruto wanted to think he spared the Hokage for him, but he wouldn't ask that. "What's done is done. We need to act on our next plan."

"...Right." The Dobe sighed. "Um... What's that?"

"Training. We need to get used to our bodies, and I'm sure you want a reasonable excuse as to how we got so good at fighting."

"Yeah- Wait! Did you say I'm good at fighting?" The blonde asked, a mocking smile graced his features.

"It's only because you're older. You're still weak."

"Hey! I can wipe the floor with you!"

"That's another thing. You need to make me seem a lot better than you or people will start to have questions." Sasuke proposed the idea. It had been on his mind the day before, and it made logical sense to him.

"What?!"

"It'll be suspicious if a dead-last is close to beating me. It's already suspicious that the two of us are seen together."

It seemed reasonable but Naruto wouldn't agree. "No way! We do this fair and square!" He exclaimed.

"Tch. Fine. I'll do a lot better anyway."

"Bring it on!"

* * *

The Academy students found it strange how close Sasuke and Naruto had gotten. They sat together, spoke to each other and, during their break time, they would sit behind a tree that was away from everybody else.

Some of the guys spread a rumour that the two of them were a couple, but that was immediately shot down by Sasuke's Fan Club. Some of the teachers thought it was nice that the worst student had befriended the best student.

Sakura found it strange though. She wondered how the two had become so different in such a short amount of time. Neither of them acknowledged she existed most of the time but then they sat next to her and helped her out with bullies the day before.

Her curiosity was piqued and, when Sakura Haruno was interested in something, she would do extensive research and reach her aim, no doubt about it. She was only six years old but her father always said she was stubborn. Maybe that was a good atribute, in this case.

**"Shannaro! I'll figure out how they changed so drastically!"** Inner Sakura shouted, causing Outer Sakura to be glad that nobody could hear her thoughts.

* * *

"Shisui-san!" A voice called out to the ninja. Sasuke ran over to his cousin, pretending to pant, his hands on his knees, as if he had just ran a marathon.

"Sasuke-kun? What is it?" The prodigy asked with a frown. Itachi's little brother never sought him out. "Does Itachi-kun need me?"

"No, I want you to train me." The younger Uchiha clenched his fists and smirked. "Then I can beat Aniki."

"You want me to train you?" Shisui looked at the boy as if he was crazy. "...I don't really have a lot of time." He said, frowning and looking away.

"I'm not accepting 'no' for an answer." Sasuke stood his ground, even getting into a stance. "You have to train me, Shisui-sensei!"

Suddenly, the elder Uchiha appeared behind him in a flash. The time-traveller turned around and back flipped away on instinct. "What are you doing?" He questioned after composing himself.

"Nice reflexes." Shisui smirked and turned around to walk away. "We'll start tomorrow." He announced, his back to his new student.

Sasuke smiled. "See you then, Shisui-sensei!"

He quite liked being called "Shisui-sensei."

* * *

Saving the world was hard work. Naruto had no idea what he was supposed to do. The Uchiha Massacre would not happen in this timeline because Sasuke had killed the elders (he still didn't like how his teammate had gone behind his back). What other events did they need to avoid?

Nothing crazy had happened when he was younger. But things took a turn when he became a genin. The Land of the Waves mission went fine but maybe they could find a way to let Zabuza and Haku live. Aside from that, he was more concerned about how complicated the Chunin Exams would be.

First of all, there was Gaara. Naruto wanted to forge a bond with him before the Destruction of the Leaf. If he could find a way to do that, then Sakura and Sasuke would never get hurt fighting Shukaku. However, Gaara seemed too far gone down his path to randomly change with a new friendship. He would have to be careful around him.

Obviously, there was the issue of Orochimaru also. Sasuke would probably not want the Curse Mark this time. However, there was the question as to whether they should kill the snake sannin. He killed the Sandaime, and that was something Naruto desperately wanted to avoid.

There was also the issue of Kabuto Yakushi. He was currently in Konoha, acting as a spy for Orochimaru. Later in the timeline, he would absorb the remnants of his master's body and reanimate many ninja to fight on his side in the Fourth Great Ninja War. Madara's reanimation was something they needed to avoid, and the only people who could use the jutsu were the Second Hokage, Orochimaru and - later on - Kabuto. Therefore, the latter was another target.

Naruto clutched his head. All of this talk gave him a migrane. They needed to take baby steps, and Sasuke just didn't seem to get that. He was scared that killing the elders would change so much. What was going to happen?

* * *

"Kaa-san." Sasuke called out once he entered his home, after going to see Shisui. "Where is Aniki and Tou-san?" He asked.

"They had somewhere to be, Sasuke." Mikoto replied, a look of tension written across her face.

The young boy knew exactly what was going on, but he continued playing the role of the clueless, little boy. "We were told in the Academy that the elders passed away." His remark was so simple but he could see his mother stiffen. "All three of them, it's really weird." He continued.

"It's terrible." The parent replied, and then tried to change the subject. "What do you want for dinner, darling? Actually, how about I make your favourite?" Mikoto searched through her kitchen, looking for the right ingredients, as her son went to his room.

Sasuke knew why things were so tense within the Uchiha household. Danzo was a skilled ninja who had been burnt to death so easily. The Uchiha clan was known for Fire Release ninjutsu. Much like the attack of the Kyubi, his clan was being blamed. This would only fuel the ideas for a coup d'etat. Luckily, Shisui wouldn't die and he could change their minds.

Eventually, Itachi and Fugaku returned with odd expressions on their faces. Sasuke couldn't decipher what they meant, and it irritated him to no end. He couldn't read them, he couldn't read anyone in the Uchiha clan, because he barely even knew them. What was going on behind the scenes? He hated being a kid, he was never told anything important.

"I have some news." The patriarch announced at dinner. The command to stop eating and listen was heard. "Today, I was asked to sit with Sandaime-sama. He expressed his desire to make me Fifth Hokage."

The household went silent, mainly because Sasuke and Mikoto were at a loss for words. Itachi seemed to be in the know and was waiting for their reactions. The time-traveller did not expect that. His father would be Hokage? The idea just seemed crazy. Well, he was in the running for Fourth Hokage but that ultimately went to Minato Namikaze. So, Hiruzen believed it was now time for Fugaku to take office.

"W-wow!" The youngest feigned excitement. "That's amazing, Tou-san!" His father nodded at him. His mother only smiled, although he was unsure of what was going through her head.

"I demanded for the members of our clan to move back into the village if they desire to do so. We'll have to move into Konoha, and I'll be stepping down as leader of the Konoha Military Police Force and as the Uchiha Clan Head."

"Who will be taking your place?" Mikoto finally spoke up with her question.

"Yakumi, but only until Itachi grows older." Her husband replied. Sasuke guessed that made sense, Yakumi worked closely with his father.

"When are you going to officially be Hokage?" He asked, trying to play it off as if he was unimaginably excited. He hoped they couldn't see through his top-grade performance - he was scared Itachi would see through him.

"It'll become public knowledge tomorrow, and the ceremony will be in one week." His father answered. "Start packing your things. We'll begin moving as soon as possible."

Once they finished dinner, the members of the head house went to their own devices. Sasuke walked into his room, shut the door, picked up a kunai and teared his pillow to shreds.

He was mad. If he wanted a world with no Kage, then it didn't make much sense that his father was the Godaime Hokage.

This just made his plan a whole lot more complicated.

* * *

It was usually sunny in Konoha, at that time of year. The ball of fire in the sky would shine its rays onto the wonderfully smelling grass below, the buds would blossom into beautiful flowers and a person would only feel the gentle summer breeze kissing against their skin.

So, it was strange when dark clouds loomed over the village the next morning. The sun was concealed, the rain hit the ground like bullets and the wind picked up tremendously. Shops closed, people hurried to their homes and the streets became deathly silent - the only sounds were the rain and the whistling wind.

The Academy was cancelled due to the harsh weather. Naruto thought nothing of it, happy that he got to stay home, but Sasuke looked out the window with an odd expression. Shaking his head, he shook a certain thought out of his mind.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N ****I fucking love it when you respectfully disagree with someone as you are debating and they insult you in response. Such an amazing feeling.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**Chapter 4**

The ground dried fairly quickly after the sudden storm. The very next day, Konoha was bursting with life again, just as it was before. Not many people chatted about it, believing it to be a one-off. There were other things people were fussed about - such as the announcement of the Fifth Hokage.

The news was met with mixed responses. Some people didn't mind it, believing in the Sandaime's decision. Others were less enthused, a strong distrust in the Uchiha clan lay within them. Members of the clan itself were estatic. An Uchiha Hokage was a glorious idea! Shisui seemed excited about it.

Speaking of Shisui, he had told Sasuke to meet the day of the storm but due to the harsh weather conditions, they began training the day after. Currently, the driest place to practice was Training Ground Twelve. It was mostly covered in stone that dried fairly quickly. There were some trees on the out-skirts that were utilised for various exercises.

The younger Uchiha specifically wanted to learn how to Shunshin like his superior, believing it would be very useful when moving about in the dark. Shisui started with something less... drastic. "This is how you throw a punch." He punched the tree stump. It shook slightly, green leaves and acorns falling from the many branches and landing onto the ground.

Sasuke hated being five again. "I know how to throw a punch." He said, his voice calm but his fists clenched at his sides. "Teach me something better, Shisui-sensei." He almost whined.

"How about a kick-"

"A jutsu!"

"You're too young to learn anything big." The elder replied, wagging his finger in the air as if the young child was being naughty. The time-traveller's face went red at the gesture.

"No, I'm not!" Sasuke didn't mean to get so mad but, in reality, he was a man of seventeen years who had just been accused of being "too young" for high-ranking techniques. Curse the consequences of time-travel that cruelly forbade him from telling the truth. The Butterfly Effect was a bitch.

"Sasuke-kun, come here." Shisui beckoned him over with his hand and the student walked over to his teacher, only to get poked on the forehead. His hand instinctively went up to it and he regarded his sensei with a shocked expression on his face. "We'll work our way up." He said with a great big smile.

Sasuke only nodded, too stunned to make any other response.

* * *

Going with the flow was nice, in Naruto's opinion. He just didn't like how everything was different now. But wasn't that the point?

He could live with Sasuke's dad being the Godaime Hokage, but he wondered what would happen with Tsunade. Would Jiraiya go to Tanzaku Town with him to find her, despite not looking for a candidate to become the Fifth Hokage? It wouldn't make sense for Pervy Sage to do that. And if they never went to get Tsunade, Sakura would never become her apprentice. Hell, maybe his pink-haired teammate would never become her apprentice because Sasuke wasn't going to leave this time.

Recently, the blonde took walks through the forests within Konoha. He realised that he got in his head a lot when contemplating the future and unconsciously began a routine. His feet crushed dead leaves on the floor, creating a loud crunching sound as he strolled along. He could hear the same sound coming from another direction.

He looked over to where the sound was coming from but a green bush was in his way. _It sounds like... two, no. Three people... _He thought, concentrating on the noises. When they became loud and clear, rapid and close, a head poked out of the bush, followed by two more. They were boys from the Academy.

"Hey! Look who it is!" The one in the middle yelled. He smirked and stood straighter as he looked at Naruto. "It's this loser!"

The jinchruki almost groaned.

The two other boys gave each other quizzical looks. "What do you mean?" The one on Naruto's left asked.

"Didn't your parents warn you about him?" The leader questioned them. "He's a loser!" His friends shrugged at each other, stepping back and allowing him to do whatever he pleased.

The blonde tried to place the guy. He had brown hair, brown eyes and he wore a brown shirt. _I'm sensing a theme. _He thought to himself, almost chuckling. It was such a basic look, no wonder he couldn't remember the boy. It was just another face among the nameless sea of classmates. "Um... What's your name?" Naruto asked, causing him to frown.

"It's Bunzo, you butthead!" The brown-haired student answered. His friends snickered into their hands behind him at the sick burn.

_Nope. Doesn't ring a bell._

"Okay. Bye." Naruto proceeded to walk right by them. However, Bunzo stood in front of him, his smirk once again forming.

"You're not going anywhere, Monster Fox."

The jinchuriki froze at the words, not having heard them in a long time. It brought back a lot of dark memories, all set before he had become Konoha's Hero. Not only whispers, but moments of him being shunned by the village entered his mind. He hated how he was discriminated against for being something that was out of his control. It wasn't just the village who did this, he had an entire criminal organisation out to get him.

Naruto really did get lost in his head a lot now. Like a whirlwind, flashbacks of his run-ins with the Akatsuki appeared in his mind. He remembered the looks on people's faces when they saw him.

It was easy, catching the punch Bunzo aimed at his face. He squeezed his fist into his hand, making the boy whine in pain. "W-what are you doing?" He asked, using his other hand to push Naruto away and retreat. "Stop it! I-it hurts!'

**"If I'm a Monster Fox," **Kurama began, speaking from within Naruto. The host mouthed the words, red eyes glaring holes into Bunzo. All three boys stared at them in horror. **"Do you really think you should make me angry? That doesn't seem so wise."**

The time-traveller let go of the boy's fist. In sync, they all screamed and ran away from him. He didn't feel good about it. In fact, he felt horrible. And mad. He was so fucking mad. He took a breath and calmed himself down, repressing certain memories in his head. In order to calm himself down, he decided to try and solve a different problem he was facing.

Sensing another chakra in the vicinity, Naruto made a show of climbing up a tree to meet the anbu spy. Yes, the Sandaime still had not gotten rid of his babysitter. It was unfair, he was entitled to_ some _privacy.

"Anbu-san," The blonde said to the white-haired man reading in a tree. _How old is he here? He's twenty and he reads that stupid book? _

The man made no response so the jinchuriki moved even closer to him. Then, he tried to poke his foot but Kakashi moved it away. Naruto stretched his arm out but the Anbu moved his feet into the air, his eyes never leaving the book. In a last attempt, he jumped on his future teacher.

Kakashi caught him, too surprised to dodge. "What?" He relented, holding his sensei's son by the collar. Minato's son struggled against the grip, flailing about in the air.

"Hi." Naruto said after he gave up. The man was not impressed. "I told Jiji I didn't want anybody following me." He continued.

"That's nice."

The jinchuriki sighed aloud. He forgot what Kakashi was like, especially in their genin days. The man was impossible. "Anbu-san, you need to stop watching me while reading that pervy book! It's really creepy!"

Kakashi gave the boy an odd look. "How do you know about this book? You're five."

"Almost six!"

"In a few months. Answer the question."

"I saw Jiji reading it one time." He explained. It wasn't a lie, it just happened way into the future. Naruto felt proud of himself; he had never thought so quickly in his life when not in combat. The son of the White Fang was not surprised. Some people within the inner circle of Konoha knew what the Sandaime could be like. He was a closet pervert, no wonder Jiraiya was the way he was. "So could you stop following me, Anbu-san?"

"No."

Naruto went red. "Why?!" He yelled. "I- I'm going to report you, believe it!"

"I made a promise." Kakashi replied, causing his future student to pause his threats. He regarded the anbu with a curious look, wondering what he was thinking about.

"What promise?"

"Nevermind." The Hatake let go of the blonde, who dropped onto the ground with a loud **_thud_**. He fumbled about, standing up and looking at the tree with a harsh glare. However, Kakashi had disappeared and he couldn't sense his chakra signature anymore.

Naruto waited for a second, thinking about the encounter. _A promise? He never told me anything about that. _As much as he thought about it, he wasn't going to get an answer. Exasperatedly, he exhaled and continued on with his walk.

Now, all he could think about was how he wouldn't let his sensei die in this timeline too.

* * *

Moving back into Konoha was odd to Sasuke. People gave them very strange glances and he hated it. His father had told them to stand straight and walk as the Hokage's family together. He did as Fugaku said, feeling superior to everyone else.

It felt nice.

As Fugaku had told his family, some Uchiha began to move into the village and a new Uchiha District was created. There were certain perks about the arrangement. They were close to the Hokage Tower so the Godaime could carry out his duties effectively. They were also close to the Academy so Sasuke could travel there easily.

Of course, some people from the clan refused to move and stayed outside of the village. Those people consisted mostly of older folk, the people who had probably not forgiven being pushed out of the village in the first place.

Shisui had moved next door the the Head Family with his parents. In the moment they found out, he had accidentally let it slip to Itachi that he had been training with Sasuke. "It'll be easier for us to train now, right, Sasuke-kun?" He had asked, patting his head.

Itachi's eyes widened for a split-second as he looked at his younger brother. Unsure of what else to do, Sasuke shrugged. There was no going back now.

Later on that day, Itachi and Shisui had a conversation. Sasuke couldn't over hear it and he didn't try, too concerned that they would notice it.

It probably wasn't important, right?

* * *

Naruto was happy Sasuke was moving into the village. He wasn't allowed in the First Uchiha District but he was allowed into the Second. This would make it more believable that they were friends (plus, he could set up some pranks).

Sometimes, Kakashi would reappear, hiding in the trees. It was irritating to the blonde. He really wanted his future sensei to stop following him but the man was as stubborn as hell. At least, he and Sasuke could still talk at the Academy with no one watching them. He just hoped that no one was ease-dropping on them.

Well, actually, the two time-travellers were forced to talk about something random when Sakura began spying on them. They had no idea what brought this change on but, sometimes, she would try to observe them. And they weren't the best at disguising their conversations.

"The weather's nice today." Sasuke said once he felt Sakura's chakra signature.

"Talking about the weather is very suspicious." Naruto would reply in a hushed tone, his hand cupped around his friend's ear as he did so. When he pulled back, the Uchiha stared at him as if he had done something stupid.

"We need to do something about Sakura." Sasuke said one day as the two of them walked back home from the Academy. They lived in the same direction and they were lucky that Kakashi wasn't watching Naruto in the moment.

"I think we need to invite her to be our friend." Naruto suggested. "And I know what you are gonna say, but if we become her friend, she'll hang with us and then leave. That's when we start talking about important stuff."

"I agree."

"I knew you would say this, Teme! But you have to hear me out-" He paused, turning to the raven-haired boy. "Wait, what?"

"I said I agree." Sasuke repeated himself irritably. "If the three of us establish a friendship in our early years, it will strengthen our dynamics as a team in the future. Also, Sakura growing up shy may have some unintended consequences that we should avoid. So, we need to help her get out of her shell."

Naruto didn't say anything in response at first. He felt like he shouldn't have been as shocked as he was. "That's what I was thinking." He finally replied, subconsciously slowing down. "You never really talk about it... What happened with Kaguya-"

"Stop." Sasuke snapped his head to the Dobe, his Sharingan activated. Naruto knew it wasn't a threat - it was a reminder. His doujutsu was activated when their teammate died. He remembered it vividly. Her smile, the tone of her voice and the feeling of her ashes in his hands. He remembered every single detail, it was burnt into his mind. He could also see Kakashi's death. He was disposed of as if he were nothing but a mere inconvenience to the Rabbit Goddess.

They didn't talk for the rest of the walk. But once they reached Sasuke's house, Mikoto waved at the two boys as she was standing outside, tending to the flowers they had in front of the house. She very much enjoyed going to the Yamanaka Flower Shop.

"Naruto-kun, how are you today?" She asked as the boys got closer.

"I'm great, Mikoto-sama. You?"

"How many times do I have to tell you? Just call me Mikoto." Naruto would have loved to call her that but Sasuke forbade him from doing it. He didn't know why but just raised his hands in defeat after they argued.

"Sasuke-kun, are you ready to start training?" Shisui questioned them, appearing to their side.

"The Dobe's training with us." He replied, tilting his head in the blonde's direction. The latter snapped his head into the former's direction, confused because they had not discussed this at all.

"Okay, sure." The elder male replied, vanishing from their sight. He was making his way to the Training Field.

"Where's Aniki?" Sasuke asked his mother. She told him that Itachi was on a mission before the time-travelling duo followed after their sensei. She then yelled after them to stay safem

"It must be nice... Having them back." Naruto said as they ran. Sasuke looked at him and saw a sad glint in his eyes. While he got his family back, the jinchuriki was still an orphan. It seemed unfair. They had the chance to change things but they couldn't change the Kyubi's attack.

"It is." He responded honestly, not knowing what else to say. His teammate nodded, flashed him a smile and then continued looking on ahead.

* * *

Training with Shisui was odd. He first demonstrated how to punch a tree, which angered Sasuke. After that, he began to work on his students' taijutsu.

Of course, they held back. There was no way they could let Shisui know that they were more advanced than they let on. So, they would just pretend to be boys who picked techniques up much quicker than the average ninja. Being from the Uzumaki and Uchiha clans, it should make sense.

Once training ended, Naruto dragged Sasuke to Ichiraku. Throughout the whole session, Kakashi was watching them. Shisui seemed to have noticed but he understood the white-haired man's reasons.

Teuchi was just the same as he always was. When his favourite customer entered, he already started preparing his usual first order. However, he did a double take when he saw Sasuke.

"Sasuke-sama!" He suddenly gasped upon seeing the boy. The son of the Hokage had just came into his ramen stall. He felt like he was going to pass out.

The Uchiha gave his order as he sat on the stool. The owner nodded and started preparing it. As he did so, Naruto began describing his day to Teuchi and Ayame. The raven-haired boy stayed quiet as the others chatted.

It had been hours ago, but he still felt bad for Naruto. The boy who was not given a chance to save his parents. He didn't know what to do to make him feel better. He felt like he needed to apologise. He was glad that he ended up inviting Naruto to train, maybe that counted as an apology, despite it happening before.

It wasn't much of an apology either way. Maybe Sasuke didn't have anything to be sorry about. Although, he did know that he was lucky in this sense, they were working to save his family and the blonde was just staying quiet and helping out.

If he was to do something for Naruto, he would have to find out what the Dobe would want to change. Was there anything his teammate wished didn't happen specifically to him? The only thing that came to mind was the stigma placed on him as a jinchuriki.

There was also the fact that he went home to an empty apartment. _Maybe I should ask my family to adopt him... _He chuckled to himself at the thought. There was Jiraiya, who Naruto thought of as a grandpa. The blonde had told Team Seven, after Tsunade returned to the village, that the Toad Sage acted like a grandfather to him, sharing an ice lolly with him. But the pervert was nowhere to be found at this point.

He almost slammed his head on the bar. _This is going to be as annoying as Sakura._

* * *

Far away, near the border of the Land of Fire, there was a quaint, little town. A sign at the entrance said that there was only a population of a thousand people. The most visited building in the town was the Hot Springs. Travellers would take some time off and enjoy the pleasure they would feel in the warm water.

Jiraiya was not in the steaming hot water. He stood on top of the building, watching the ladies' side with a telescope. This research was vital for his next book. He was extra silent this time. One of the new characters in the series was a strong, independent monster of a woman. She had blonde hair, a large bust size and had a pet pig named Dondon, which was why he was spying on Tsunade in the Hot Springs.

"Pervert!" One of the other women screamed, pointing up at him.

_So much for being extra careful. _Jiraiya thought. He looked back at Tsunade and saw that she was no longer there. That only meant she was already on the hunt for him. He ran as fast as he could but Tsunade caught him. He almost died a second time.

Three days later, he woke up in a random room. Unsure of where he was, he tried to stand up but felt a kick to his back. His teammate stood over him with a hellish facial expression. Her assistant sat by the door, Tonton resting in her lap.

"Jiraiya..." She hissed, giving Orochimaru a run for his money. "Why were you peeking in the Hot Springs?"

"I wasn't peeking!" He protested but only earned another kick to his back. "I was but it was research!" She kicked him a third time. "I'll never do it again!" He valued his life. And, obviously, he was lying.

"What are you doing here?" Tsunade asked, allowing him to finally sit up. She knew that he wouldn't just seek her out for "research."

"I have some news. Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado and Danzo Shimura are all dead." Jiraiya announced, causing the women in the room to stiffen. Tonton opened her mouth in shock.

"...What does that have to do with me?" The sannin with monstrous strength questioned her old teammate.

"Sarutobi-sensei has stepped down as Hokage, with Fugaku Uchiha taking his place. The two of us have been asked to become part of his Council of Konoha."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N Thanks for ten reviews!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**Chapter 5**

Manipulating the fabrics of time was a dangerous game. A simple action could cause disastrous consequences, a chain of events that would lead to a multitude of unforeseen circumstances. A butterfly flapping its wings would cause a hurricane miles away. What about accidentally stepping on a butterfly? Who knew what would happen?

Naruto didn't mean to do it, he just wasn't watching where he was going. As he strolled through the forest, he got lost in his head. This led to the disaster before him - a dead insect. Its blue wings were crumpled and a disgusting liquid oozed out of its body as it lay on the ground, lifeless. It had such a big life ahead of it - unless it got trapped into the spider web where it was directly flying too. It died, all because the jinchuriki decided to go on a walk.

After screaming, flailing around in horror and wiping his sandal on a rock, the blonde prayed to Hagoromo for the insect and hoped the consequences wouldn't spiral out of control. After Sasuke told him about The Butterfly Effect, he forced himself to think before every action - which was, quite obviously, not his forte.

If he was worrying about something as simple as a dead insect, you could guess how worried he was about the much larger decisions they (or Sasuke) had made. First of all, there was the death of the elders. Naruto didn't like killing, he would only do it if he had to. And even then, he never landed the killing blow - except with Yura, who he believed was Itachi at the time. So, the idea to kill Koharu, Homura and Danzo made him feel queasy but he understood his teammate's reasons.

This already led to Fugaku Uchiha becoming Hokage. Naruto didn't know how to feel about it at first. It was cool, Teme being the son of a Hokage. It was like they were twins. But... The Dobe saw how his teammate was treated by everyone, even Teuchi. Like he was a golden, untouchable God, similar to how Konohamaru was treated. Something he had never experienced before, despite being the son of the Yondaime.

"You killed it." Naruto jumped, forgetting what he was thinking about. Startled that he didn't sense who it was, he whipped around and pointed at them with an accusing finger. Shino stood there, hands in his pockets, and looking down at the dead butterfly.

Shino Aburame. When the jinchuriki last saw him, he was battling against the Ten-Tails clones and was able to hold his own. In his original timeline, the Team Eight member was hard to get along with, even moreso as Naruto had forgotten his name when they met after two and a half years.

The blonde felt a bit bad upon seeing him. He hadn't been keeping up with the people he knew in this alternate timeline. This was mainly because he felt odd, talking to them as if he didn't know what was in their future. Therefore, he waited for the right time to befriend them, but that never came.

Naruto would change his relationship with them in this timeline.

"Don't sneak up on me, Shino." He replied. "Oh, and... Yeah, I stepped on it, by accident."

"I assumed it would be by accident. Why, you ask? Because it would be cruel to kill an insect, especially because you know how much a friend of yours is fond of them." The Aburame explained, his eyes boring into the time-traveller's soul.

"Yeah..." Naruto replied. _Jeez, he thought of us as friends when we were five? Why did he never speak to me?_ He didn't mention that he only found out about the bug-user's jutsu during the Chunin Exams' preliminary round.

"I thought we were friends but you never seek me out." Shino continued, his head hanging low as he remembered that one time he stood next to the Dobe, who didn't notice him. "So, I decided to punish you by giving you the silent treatment. However, I believe you have suffered enough."

_...Huh? _It occured to the Nine-Tails' host that his friendship with Sasuke may have had some consequences too. One of which was Sakura's interest in them and now, the silent boy's friendship. "Oh..." He took a minute to think of what to say next. "Okay! Wanna get some ramen?" Shino walked away wordlessly. When he was a few paces ahead, he looked back at the boy expectantly. "Oh, right!" He exclaimed, running after him.

* * *

The next day, Sasuke and Naruto decided it was time to befriend Sakura. They would also ask Shisui to train her, along with them, but not for a little while. The Dobe was confused that his teammate was so adamant about strengthening their teamwork, but he went along with it if it meant he and the pinkette would be friends earlier than in the original timeline.

They started simple. Firstly, they waited for her to walk into the classroom and take a seat at the back. After that, the two of them strolled in and sat next to her, Sasuke inbetween his future teammates. She gave them a sideways glance but quickly looked back to the front.

Iruka walked in, barked at a sleeping student (Shikamaru), Kiba barked back (literally) and the entire class was forced to do a pop quiz in retaliation. Kakashi's students all answered the test easily, knowing the answers to all of the questions.

When they were allowed to play outside, Sasuke gestured his head at Sakura to Naruto. The latter rolled his eyes and planted a huge smile on his face. "Hey, Sakura-chan," He started, his voice booming throughout the empty classroom. Said girl looked at him with wide eyes. "Wanna play Ninja with me and Sasuke-teme?" He asked.

"Um... Sure." She replied, giving the Uchiha a fleeting look.

Now, Sasuke never agreed to play Ninja. Mostly because he was seventeen and partly because he didn't know how. The blonde explained the rules, which seemed to be a copy of tag. The Ninja was "it." Thus, for the rest of their break, the group of three played the game. They went easy on her, pretending to be slower than they actually were. Eventually, the boys got mad at one another and had a tag contest while the pinkette slightly giggled into her hands on the sidelines.

When they returned to the class, they sat back in the seats they were in. The Uchiha noticed that the cherry blossom's shoulders relaxed around them now. She always looked tense, he was glad she was getting comfortable around them. It made things much easier.

Before lunch, they learnt about some of the history of Konohagakure. Most of it was about the Shodaime Hokage. After the history lesson, at lunch time, Naruto gestured his head to Sakura at Sasuke. The latter clenched his teeth but nodded. "Sakura," She froze when he said her name. "Dobe and I are going to eat at our spot. You should come with us." She nodded her head without looking at him and followed them to their usual tree.

This time, they talked about random things. While he felt odd doing it, Sasuke mainly talked about his family. Naruto talked about a variety of subjects: ramen, toads and his underwear at some point (Sakura went red and Sasuke smacked him for the last one). The cherry blossom barely spoke but she listened intently, hanging on to every word. When they returned back inside, they had to separate from Sakura as she had to go to her Kunoichi Classes. As she left, she shyly waved at them and said she would see them tomorrow.

Naruto pumped his fist into the air and Sasuke smirked. Things were going well.

* * *

Dinner at the Uchiha household was a complicated occurence. The boys within the family sometimes ate in the house, but not all the time. Fugaku was often busy with his Hokage duties, Itachi had missions and Sasuke would eat with Naruto on some ocassions.

Sasuke enjoyed eating with Naruto because ramen was quite tasty (though he would never admit it to the blonde) and, more importantly, it gave him an excuse to avoid his family. He might have come off as ungrateful for his family coming back but he was definitely glad they were alive. It was just hard to act around them.

"Otouto," Itachi began at the dinner table. It was a rare time where all four of them were present for the meal. The time-traveller paused and looked at his elder brother. "What did you do with Shisui-kun today?" He questioned him.

"Taijutsu, Aniki." He replied, offering no further comment. His father nodded, his way of approval. Fugaku liked the idea of Sasuke training so early, especially from someone as skilled as Shisui Uchiha. It also gave Itachi more time to work on missions and learn clan responsibilities from Yakumi.

"I want the two of you," Fugaku began, looking at his sons. "To be at home tomorrow for dinner. We'll be hosting a couple of honoured guests who have returned to Konoha after a long time." He finished.

"Who, Tou-san?" The youngest asked as he fiddled with his food.

"The two Legendary Sannin: Jiraya, the Toad Sage and Tsunade-hime." Sasuke would have done a spit-take if he had anything in his mouth. The sannin were coming to Konoha early? Why? What did they do that caused this to happen? "They will be serving on the board of my council, alongiside Sandaime-sama."

"A new council?" Itachi asked. "Will they be acting as replacements for the elders?"

"Yes."

Sasuke's felt that his face was betraying him. Every time somebody talked about the elders, or made a reference to them, he thought that everything he was doing screamed "Guilty!" He had gotten rid of all of the evidence the night he assassinated them and a single suspect wasn't named. They assumed a member of the Root would have done it but nothing said so. The group then were allowed to decide what they would like to do with their lives, most joined the Hokage's Anbu and some decided they weren't ninja without their leader.

As they hadn't found the murderer, people were tense about living amongst a killer. It seemed as though everybody believed they had a target on their backs. The most likely targets would be the Hokage and his council.

"So?" Fugaku asked as he looked at his sons. Sasuke gave a stiff nod and Itachi verbally agreed. Their father nodded and dinner continued without another event.

Itachi silently praised his father. It was smart for him to ally with three trusted ninja in Konoha to boost his popularity. Especially since there were some people in Konoha who believed it was him who had killed the elders. The prodigy didn't know where he stood on that. His father had wanted to become Hokage, but how could he have carried it out without help from the clan?

Fugaku may have had help from some clan members. For example, Yakumi seemed like an ideal candidate. But how could he have known he would become Hokage? Why let the Sandaime live?

Itachi forced himself to stop. It was stupid to think of his father in such a light. No one in his family could have done such a thing.

* * *

"Woohoo!" Naruto cheered on the Training Field once Sasuke told him the news. He was estatic that the sannin were coming to the village early. Seeing Jiraiya again after so long... It made him happy. He was actually alive.

"Calm down." The Uchiha said to him. It was the morning of the day they would arrive and he thought it would make sense to tell his time-travelling partner the news. He just wanted him to understand the implications also. "Their coming back to form my father's council."

"Which means they're here to stay!" The blonde exclaimed, still smiling widely. "You know, we could get Oba-chan to train Sakura-chan early."

"Dobe, listen to me." He had enough. "Do you know what this means? They are going to be making decisions for Konoha."

"What's so bad about that?" The jinchuriki asked.

"Who knows how much will change?" He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. His friend frowned at him. "Anyway, it's time for our next point of business." Sasuke continued.

"What is it?" The blonde queried. "If we're killing someone, I'm gonna thump you."

"We're not. It's about Black Zetsu." The Uchiha replied, causing his friend to straighten up. They hadn't said a word about the entity since arriving, so it was strange that he was being brought up now.

"What about him?"

"We need to find and seal him. I thought you could create a strong seal for him."

"Why me?" Naruto questioned. "I've never been good with fuinjutsu."

"The Uzumaki clan is known for their chakra and seals. I know you can... figure something out." Sasuke responded. "Also, you have Kurama with you to help you out. He must know some things about your mother, as she was his previous host."

"Um... Alright! I'll master fuinjutsu so we can seal that ugly blob!" Naruto cheered, causing Sasuke to kick his ass because he was being too loud. The boy fell to the ground but quickly got up to charge at him. However, the Uchiha was already jumping away, a cocky smirk placed on his face.

* * *

"Thanks, Jiji!" Naruto exclaimed after he had finished eating at Ichiraku. Ramen for lunch was always great, but the issue was that he had no idea what to have for dinner. Sasuke had to eat with the sannin - the blonde was still excited about that - so he didn't really know what to do with himself.

Kurama had told him to go to the library and look up how to create seals in the morning. After a grueling few hours, he decided to get ramen and continue with the work tomorrow. He didn't necessarily feel rushed to seal Black Zetsu, the Naruto at this point was only five years old.

_I could continue... _He thought when he didn't know what else to do.

"Oi, Naruto!" Somebody yelled. Said boy turned around to see who shouted his name, and saw that it was Kiba. He was standing next to Chouji and Shikamaru, the boys all looking at him.

The jinchuriki walked up to them, slightly confused that they were seeking him out. Yes, they were the problem kids back at the Academy, but they didn't really talk outside of school. Especially this early in time.

He remembered how they were all doing in the war. The Inuzuka showed off his new technique that included the Shadow Clone Jutsu. Team Ten were always the best at teamwork and used an exciting combination move.

They were all in the Infinite Tsukiyomi when he left.

Naruto took in a deep breath and asked them, "What is it?"

"We're playing hide and seek. Wanna play?" Chouji offered.

"He says it's not so fun with only three people." Shikamaru added, followed by a loud sigh. The blonde assumed "he" was the Akimichi. He was always kind and probably wanted to include him, which he sometimes did in the original timeline.

Naruto grinned. "Sure." He agreed.

The four Academy students all played hide and seek. All of them were stumped as to where Naruto was, even the Nara. Once they gave up, he revealed himself, chuckling at their astonished faces.

* * *

"Tell me what happened! All of it! Hey, come on! Tell me-" Naruto was silenced with a karate chop to the head by Sasuke. "Ow! You better stop hitting me!" He yelled at the boy.

"You make it too easy. No wonder Sakura made you her punching bag." The Sharingan user replied.

"No. When Sakura-chan wants to punch you," The blonde whispered. "There's just no way to escape..." He looked to his right quickly, as if the pinkette was looming around, looking for a face to destroy.

Far away, Sakura was reading a book under a cherry blossom tree. She sneezed suddenly and blamed the pollen.

Sasuke gave him an unimpressed look. "You're a ninja. You could just easily escape." Naruto shook his head rapidly as he remembered horrifying moments in his life. "And there's really nothing to tell. They came, ate and then left."

"I know what dinner is, I'm really good at it. What did they say?" The Dobe asked excitedly.

"My father asked them if they were willing to become part of Konoha's Council and they agreed. Although, Tsunade did seem reluctant."

"Oba-chan was a lot different when I first met her." Naruto replied. "I don't know how to get her to open her eyes in this timeline... But I'll find a way!"

"Don't go befriending them." Sasuke warned him. "They don't know who we are."

"Hey, Ero-sennin taught my dad. He knew who I was when we first met." The jinchuriki said. "And, I'm sure he can help me out with fuinjutsu."

That caught the Uchiha's attention. Sealing Black Zetsu was a priority, to avoid Kaguya's revival and avoid the end of the humanity, which was pretty much the only reason they were sent back. "Fine." He relented. "But don't introduce Sakura and Tsunade. They're both different in this timeline, we're not aware of what will happen."

"Fine." The Uzumaki also relented. He began to form a plan to catch Jiraiya at the Hot Springs. He was most likely there. "Kakashi-sensei's coming back. Let's pretend we're sparring." The boys made a show of a pitiful Academy student spar before claiming they were tired and going home.

Naruto walked back to his apartment, aware that his future sensei was stalking him. Saving the world aside, he felt so weird when somebody was watching his every move. He remembered every stupid thing did when he was alone, but maybe he wasn't alone when he did those things? His face turned purple as he thought about what the Kakashi from his own timeline must have seen.

Kurama snorted, amused.

_What? _Naruto asked him.

**"Oh, nothing." **The beast replied innocently. He then laughed, making his host turn red.

* * *

"Hey! Why are you peeking on the ladies' side?!"

Multiple loud shrieks were heard on the women's side of the Hot Springs. Jiraiya's face turned red as he whipped around to the little boy. "You!" He snarled, pointing at Naruto. "How dare a snot-nosed imbecile like you interfere with my research!"

"Research?" The blonde replied. "You were just being a pervert."

"I am not a pervert!" The sannin all but screamed, extremely offended by the little boy's insinuation. How dare he accuse _him _of being _perverted! _"I am Jiraiya, the Toad Sage!"

"Ero-sennin, you shouldn't peek on women." The jinchuriki chatisised him, wagging his finger back and forth to the older man.

"Don't call me that! Now... If you'll excuse me, I'm going to find a new peeking spot- Ah! I mean, a nice, little swimming pool." The Sage announced, leaving the Hot Springs.

Naruto smirked. It was a perfect way to start their bond.

* * *

Sasuke enjoyed the times where he had nothing to do. One reason was because he could fill the time with extra training, which was why he was at the Training Field. Another reason for this was because he could take a break from all the 'Save the World' drama.

It was nice to have a moment of peace.

"Sasuke-kun!"

_I should have seen that coming. _He dryly commented to himself. Looking at the voice, he groaned outwardly at who it was. It was Ino, one of the most annoying fangirls. She, Ame and Sakura took the cake for his most extreme fans, and he could only tolerate his teammate. Most of the time. Sometimes. Not really.

"Are you training?" The blonde girl asked, blushing slightly.

_No, I'm dancing. _"Yes." Sasuke continued practicing his taijutsu.

"Maybe you should take a break. Want to go get some ice cream?"

_We're five. Why is she asking me on a date?_ "No."

"Okay..." She replied, crestfallen. "Then... Maybe we could have lunch together tomorrow." She offered hopefully.

"No." The Uchiha repeated, switching to practicing his shurikenjutsu. He was annoyed he couldn't do more advanced training with Ino around.

"Why?!" She suddenly yelled, causing Sasuke to siffen. That was new.

"Why what?" He chose to reply.

"Why do you always do stuff for Sakura and not for me?" She questioned him as her eyes began to water.

Sasuke threw a shuriken as he wondered how to reply. It was hard to say that he respected Sakura more because of how she helped him during the war - also known as sacrificing herself to save his life - but Ino needed to hear the truth.

"Sakura's nicer than you." He began. "She was bullied for how she looks, and for the ridiculous reason that I sat next to her, and that seems to have turned her into a nice person. She has some bad qualities, but not as much as the rest of you. The rest of you girls can't stand the fact that she's a better person than you."

There was a brief silence after he finished talking. Sasuke didn't look to see her reaction but what happened next let him know. She began to sob hysterically and ran away from him. He had mixed feelings. He felt that he could have gone easier on her but she needed to hear it, so he didn't feel that bad.

_She'll survive. It's not the worst thing to happen in the world. _Sasuke thought as he continued to train.

* * *

Sasuke didn't go to sleep that night. Since he had returned, there was a certain thought that nagged at him. He realised that he needed to figure something out.

Naruto was a jinchuriki. If they had defeated Kaguya, he decided that he would need to take out Naruto to create the perfect world. Bijuu were a source of destruction. Villages battled for control over them, the beings brought nothing but chaos. They shouldn't exist.

Extracting the Kyubi from within Naruto would kill him. But there had to be a way he could survive. Sasuke needed to do his research.

He had more time since he gave Naruto the job of finding a way to seal Black Zetsu.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N Hey, sorry this took so long. If you read my story Sakura, you would know that life and motivation got in the way of my writing. I don't know when I'll update next for this story since I'm writing so little and most of my energy goes into writing Sakura.**

**Anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**Chapter 6**

It was a beautiful day in Konoha. The sun was shining, birds were chirping-

"Kid, would you stop following me?!"

The day was hell.

The Toad Sage was having such a good day. He found a waterfall where young, cute girls were prancing about and having fun. It was good research for his next book. His telescope zoomed in on all the good parts, he laughed gleefully at how nice the view was from behind his bush. This was the life he singed up for after publishing his first book.

The next thing he knew, the annoying blonde idiot that followed him around began to yell about how he was being a pervert, leading to the girls scattering like mice. He wasn't a pervert, it was research!

"Why do you peep on other girls when you can just turn into one?" Naruto asked the elder. "For example... Sexy Jutsu!" He transformed into his female alter ego.

Jiraiya's nose began to bleed.

A bond was formed.

* * *

They always teased her for having an unusually large forehead. Sakura never understood why. It was out of her control, she didn't ask the Man Upstairs for such a horrifying characteristic. She even grew out her bangs just to hide it. However, that didn't seem very effective. In fact, the teasing seemed to double.

It was often Ame and her group of friends from the Academy. The kids got a kick out of picking on her and she was always left in tears, which only goaded them on. She tried not to cry, she really did, but they always started to leak out, blurring her vision and fueling the mean comments even further. Her mother always told her she wore her heart on her sleeve. Was that such a bad thing?

Making friends wasn't easy either. She felt secluded from the rest of her class. It was as if having a big forehead singled her out and made no one want to be friends with her. Could she blame them? She always thought she looked weird with her pink hair and green eyes. Nobody would want to be friends with her. So, it was such a big shock to her that Sasuke and Naruto were talking to her. At first, she wondered if it was some elaborate prank being pulled on her but they genuinely wanted to talk to her.

It was nice, having friends.

The day they hung out together she was so happy, she ran home to tell her parents. She regretted it immediately when her mother asked a billion questions and her dad wanted to invite them over. She would die if Naruto and Sasuke ever met her parents.

After a brutal verbal attack, Sakura was left in tears on the floor in the playground. Ame had once again teased her and she cried. It was such a normal event, it would be weird if she didn't cry. They left her alone as the sun began to set. The sky turned orange and the only sound was the pinkette's wails.

The playground was abandoned. Once people saw the group of mean girls, they scattered as one of the girls stopped Sakura from leaving. Now the swing set was still, it looked as lonely as she did. The tunnel looked dirty because a kid tracked mud all over it. The slide looked hurt because someone had drawn graffiti on the side of it. The pinkette wondered if the objects felt as hurt as she did. If not, more. Just because something - or someone - couldn't defend itself, it didn't mean people should be mean to them.

She would not tell Sasuke or Naruto about this. It would only bother them, and she didn't want to ruin the friendship they had. She could take the hits for the sake of their friendship. If she told Sasuke, the girls would get even more jealous. It was like telling a teacher, it only made things worse.

"A- are you... o- okay?" Somebody whispered. She hadn't heard another person come up to her. Looking up and sniffling, it was a girl who she vaguely recognised. She was wearing a purple coat that seemed a bit too big for her and black trousers. Her hair was dark blue and she had lavender eyes. Sakura realised that the eyes were of somebody from the scary-eye clan her mother told her about. Or was that Sasuke's clan? She didn't understand the difference. Apparently, they both had scary eyes.

The cherry blossom didn't answer the girl's question and continued to cry. The girl in front of her shuffled awkwardly before taking a step back. It seemed as if she was about to leave. "They always pick on me..." Sakura revealed, not wanting her to go. She rubbed her eyes, attempting to stop herself from crying.

The blue-haired girl twiddled her thumbs together. "Why?" She built up the courage to ask.

"Because of my..." Sakura didn't want to say it. "My forehead." She whispered, resting her chin on her knees.

The girl looked at her forehead instantly and frowned. "I- I don't see what's so bad about it." She replied. If somebody from the scary-eye clan didn't see what was wrong with her forehead, then maybe it wasn't so bad. In fact, the comment made Sakura feel ten times better. She smiled through her tears at the girl, who smiled back. "...What's your name?" She asked. It was hard to remember everybody's name in their class.

"...Sakura." The pinkette answered. "What's yours?"

"I'm Hinata."

"Wanna..." She began, her cheeks tinting pink. "Um... Wanna be friends?"

Hinata was taken aback by the sudden proposal of friendship. She didn't have any friends and here someone was who wanted to befriend her so easily. "O- okay." She stuttered, the corners of her mouth perking up.

Sakura stood abruptly and grabbed onto her new friend's hand. "Let's go on the swings!" She exclaimed and they both laughed as they ran to the happy swing set.

* * *

Eighteen years old. A right of passage, some would say it was. Sasuke wouldn't, not for a second. Mostly because he was turning six years old in this timeline.

There were so many issues with being a man in a child's body. He understood things that he didn't as a child. Sometimes, his father would leave his and Mikoto's room with a less stern facial expression. A few minutes later, his mother would leave the room with sweat on her face. As a child, he used to think they just had a fight. Now he understood it was something much more horrifying. They had sex.

Sasuke felt the need to vomit.

On his sixth birthday, he was shocked when he saw the multitude of presents his family had bought for him. He didn't usually get gifts after graduating from the Academy in the original timeline. Fan girls tried to force presents upon him but he always refused them. When he was training with Orochimaru, his birthday was just another day that went by with no excitement. Now, his living family gave him training gear (except his mother who bought him a tiger teddy).

Naruto gave him a ramen coupon and the Uchiha laughed in his face. The blonde wasn't the only kid who got him a gift, Sakura had bought him a box of chocolates. She hid them behind her back and blushed furiously as she decided whether to give it to him or not. Eventually, she gave him the present and he accepted. Now, Sasuke didn't like sweets. In fact, he hated them. So, he found it reasonable to give the chocolates to Naruto.

"These are so good!" The jinchuriki exclaimed, talking with his mouth full. "Where'd you get them?" He asked as he threw another chocolate into his mouth.

"Sakura gave them as a birthday gift." He didn't expect Naruto to spit out the chocolate, but it landed a few feet in front of them. "What?"

"If these were a birthday gift, why did you give them to me?" Naruto questioned him.

He thought it was obvious. "Because I don't like sweets."

"But you can't give away the sweets like that. They're from Sakura-chan!"

The conversation then dissolved into an argument, with Naruto shaming Sasuke for giving away a gift, and with Sasuke retaliating that Naruto was too sensitive. The fight ended after they got annoyed at each other and began to poke the other on the forehead over and over again.

Other than that, the day was pretty much uneventful.

* * *

The day after Sasuke's birthday, the two time-travellers made their way to the Academy. Upon arriving at the classroom, they noticed Sakura chatting to Hinata at the back. "They're friends?" Naruto asked, shooting a confused look to Sasuke, who shrugged in response. The two then walked over to her and she beamed up at them.

"Sasuke-kun, Naruto-kun. This is my friend, Hinata-chan." The Hyuga smiled and awkwardly waved before putting her hands into her lap.

"Hi, Hinata-chan!" The blonde exclaimed as the boys sat down. She mumbled something back but then the pinkette nudged her.

"H- hi, N- Naruto-kun." She replied, giving him a smile with pink cheeks. After, she immediately looked straight ahead in the classroom.

_Well, it makes sense. _Sasuke thought. Sakura and Hinata were both shy so maybe they had bonded. _Maybe it happened as a result of her not becoming friends with Ino._

Naruto remembered a lot about Hinata in the war. He remembered seeing her use the Gentle Fist fighting style to take down a Ten-Tails clone. He also recalled her fighting to protect him, essentially sacrificing herself before Neji had jumped in the way. Furthermore, she had been the one to convince him not to give up and continue fighting after her cousin's demise.

And he would never forget what she did during Pein's invasion.

"Hey, Hinata-chan," The class were chatting amongst themselves as the task had been set. The Hyuga turned to him with her full attention. "I'm glad that we're friends."

For once, she didn't blush. Instead, she grinned at him and nodded. "Me too."

* * *

"Hey, Sakura-chan!" Naruto shouted at the pinkette once they were let out of the Academy. She turned to him with wide eyes.

_He's so loud. _She thought with a smile. "What is it, Naruto-kun?" She asked.

"Teme and I are going to train with our sensei. Do you want to come with?" He asked, hoping it would be easy to convince her.

"You have a sensei already?"

"He's more like a tutor." Sasuke replied, walking up to them. "A family friend. Shisui Uchiha."

Sakura had never heard of him. "Well, wouldn't he have a problem if I came?" She questioned them, not wanting to impose on their training.

_Ugh. I'm going to skip all this talk. _Naruto decided. "He'll be fine. Shisui-sensei's really cool." He said, grabbing onto her hand to take her with them.

"I- I don't know."

"Sakura-chan, let's go!"

"Maybe some other time-"

"Let's go!"

"Naruto!" The Dobe picked her up and put her over his shoulder, running off as fast he could. Sasuke followed after them with an amused expression on his face.

* * *

Shisui didn't expect his two students to arrive with a girl. To be honest, he didn't know the idiots had other friends, not to mention a girl friend.

"Sakura-chan can train with us, right, Shisui-sensei?" Naruto asked him, his eyes pleading with the elder Uchiha.

"Um... Sure." He turned to the girl who was shrinking behind Sasuke and looking anywhere but at him. "What's your last name, Sakura-chan?"

"...Haruno." She replied after a beat, still avoiding his eyes. A civillian. She would definitely be the hardest to train. She seemed incredibly shy too. Fortunately, Shisui had a way with people.

"Look at her! She's so cute!" Without warning, he phased behind her and picked her up, ignoring the shock on her face. He then started swinging her around. "The hair! She looks like a pretty flower!"

"Is he okay?" Naruto asked Sasuke, his eyes wide.

"He's Shisui," Was the reply. "He's never okay."

"And that forehead!"

The Academy students froze at the comment. Confident Sakura would beat up anybody who said shit about her forehead. Shy Sakura would cry.

Hell was about to break loose.

"It's so cute!" Shisui finished, putting the girl, who felt utterly violated, down. Instead of crying, her cheeks went pink and she covered her forehead with her hands. The boys sighed, glad that nothing bad had happened.

"Moving on..." The sensei continued as if nothing crazy had just occured. "Sakura-chan, watch closely." He walked up to a tree.

"Oh no..." Sasuke grumbled.

"This is how you throw a punch." The teacher said, demonstrating on the same tree.

"Interesting..." Sakura took out a notepad and drew a detailed drawing of her teacher punching a tree.

"You're my favourite." Shisui said to her.

"Hey! That's not fair!" The blonde boy protested.

"Of course it is. I'm the teacher!"

* * *

"You're late." Itachi said when Shisui appeared at their meeting place, the Amaguriama (Sasuke's brother had quite the sweet tooth). It was still light out but late in the day. "I have to be back for dinner soon." He narrowed his eyes at his friend.

"Sorry, sorry." The elder apologised. "They kept on asking me to show them some techniques. How could I say no to those little guys?"

"Report."

"They brought a new friend with them and asked me to train her. Sakura Haruno." The Shunshin-user informed the clan heir.

"Haruno?" Itachi had never heard the name before.

"Yeah, they befriended a civillian. Didn't see that coming." Shisui laughed, nudging the other boy - who made no physical response.

"What else?"

"Nothing new. I don't know why you're so concerned." Shisui put his arm around Itachi. "So Sasuke-kun has become more serious about training. What's so bad about that?" He asked.

"You don't understand." The younger one replied.

"Then help me."

"For a while now, he's been acting different. That's why I asked you to keep an eye on him. He seems like an entirely different person."

"He's growing up."

"He's six." Itachi gave his best friend a dry look.

"In the life of a ninja, that's practically middle-aged."

"No, it isn't."

"Yeah, it isn't." Shisui relented. "But you know what I mean!"

"How are we friends?"

* * *

"Hey, Anbu-san!"

Kakashi rolled his eye. The kid wouldn't leave him alone. Granted, he was sitting in a tree and spying on him but that was because he was allowed to. Wordlessly, he turned the page of his book and pretended he was alone.

"What are you doing? Have you not finished that book yet?" Naruto asked, scratching his head and taking a seat on a nearby branch. "Even I can read faster than you." They sat in silence for a moment. The anbu took a quick second to look over at the blonde. He was sitting on a branch and staring up at the sky. They didn't talk but he was just sitting there, in complete silence. "What did you mean when you said you made a promise?" The jinchuriki asked suddenly.

Kakashi made no verbal response but his heartbeat became rapid. He shouldn't have brought that up last time. Naruto's parentage was a village secret, the boy would be in danger if he was told the truth. "What promise?" The jonin asked, playing aloof.

"I know you know what I'm talking about." The brat replied, narrowing his eyes.

"And do you know that I know that you know what you are talking about?" The masked man almost laughed at the boy's dumbfounded expression. He seemed to be lost on how to respond.

Naruto's face grew red as he tried to figure out how to reply. He hated it when people used words to confuse him. "Just tell me!" He snapped.

"Don't feel like it."

"Then I'll tell everyone that you're a pervert."

"They already know."

_Damn. _The blonde thought. Kakashi got him there. How was he supposed to get this information out of him? "I'm leaving." Naruto announced, looking down his nose at his future sensei. "But I will be back."

"Yay." Kakashi retorted with an unenthusiastic response.

* * *

Another day, another training session with Shisui.

The future Team Seven were attempting the leaf exercise on Training Ground Six. They were to balance the leaf on their heads using chakra, but the slightest mistake would cause it to fall. It was a basic technique used to practice chakra control.

Naruto and Sasuke understood that they had to fake failing a few times. The former's chakra control used to be appalling and the latter used to have trouble at first before perfecting his chakra control. Only one member got it on the first try. "Very good, Sakura-chan." Shisui clapped and her teammates followed suit. She smiled widely, slightly proud of herself for getting the technique right.

**"First try, baby! FIRST TRY!" **Inner Sakura pumped her fists. **"Shannaro!"**

"You know, Sakura-chan," Naruto began, a suspicious glint in his eyes. "With perfect chakra control like that, you could be a great medical ninja one day."

Sasuke's eye twitched.

"Really?" The pinkette asked, a hopeful tone present in her voice.

"Yeah! Just as good as... Tsunade-sama." The jinchuriki claimed, having narrowly avoided calling her "Oba-chan." He then turned to Sasuke. "Don't you think so, Teme?"

The raven-haired boy glared at his friend before turning to his female teammate. She looked at him with her eyes shining. "Um... No." It slipped out, he didn't mean to say it.

"No?" Sakura asked, her face immediately falling. Sasuke glanced at Naruto and saw that he was pretending to whistle as he stared up at the sky. After, he looked towards Shisui, who was frowning at him. Then, he looked at back to a sad Sakura.

"I..." He began, giving up and letting Naruto win. "I think you'll be an amazing medical ninja." The corners of her mouth moved upwards. "Probably the best in the world." She looked at the ground and blushed.

"Okay!" Shisui clapped his hands, grabbing his students' attention. "Sasuke-kun, Naruto-kun, keep working on the leaf exercise. Sakura-chan, you and I are going to work on your taijutsu."

"O- okay." The girl stuttered.

As soon as Shisui and Sakura left, Sasuke pounced at Naruto. "What did you do?" He asked as he got the Dobe into a headlock.

"Same thing you did." The blonde replied, trying to push Sasuke away from him. "Doesn't feel so nice when it's done to you."

The Uchiha tripped the boy up and then put his foot on his stomache. "What do you mean?"

"When someone does something important without telling you." The Uzumaki answered, glaring at his teammate.

Sasuke took his foot off the boy and waited until he stood up. "You're a child." He stated bluntly.

"Um... So are you." Naruto responded, gesturing to their bodies.

"No, you have the mind of a child. You wanted to get back at me so you made Sakura want to become a medical ninja early?"

Naruto dusted off his clothes before replying. "If you had payed even an ounce of attention to her before, you would know that she always wanted to be a medical ninja. She just didn't know how to start." Sasuke was surprised but he didn't show it. "That's your problem. You only think about what's best for you." The Uchiha remained silent.

The two didn't speak to each other for the rest of the session.

* * *

The next day, at the Academy, Sakura sat awkwardly next to Hinata. In front of them, Naruto and Sasuke were sitting and effectively ignoring each other. The tension radiating from the two of them was obvious.

The girls exchanged concerned looks. The pinkette had tried to ask each of them what was wrong but they brushed her off. She didn't really know what to do (since she never had friends, she had no idea how to handle such a situation). "We need to pry the information from them." She whispered to Hinata, who nodded in agreement. "You talk to Naruto-kun, I'll talk to Sasuke-kun."

At lunch, Sakura approached a brooding Sasuke on the benches. "Hi, Sasuke-kun. You weren't at the usual tree today." She remarked. "Is something going on between you and Naruto-kun?"

He looked at her with an expression of indifference. "No." He said after a beat, looking away from her. "I don't concern myself with that idiot."

"What do you mean? You guys are best friends." She replied, offering him a smile.

"I don't have friends."

"Of course you do. You have Naruto-kun, Hinata-chan and.. Well, me." She let out a laugh, as if he was being silly. "We're your friends, Sasuke-kun." And then she smiled again.

Sasuke always saw that smile.

Constantly, she would give him that smile in their genin days. It would always flash into his head when he lived in Orochimaru's hideout. He saw many visions of it when he worked with Obito and the Akatsuki. And then he saw her smile right before she died.

"Sakura..." His tone was serious. The sky had suddenly turned grey, clouds looming over the village. Droplets of rain landed on the ground. Some people started to complain and ran inside, it had been such a sunny day before.

"What?" She asked, tilting her head to the side. "What is it, Sasuke-kun?"

Before he could say anything, a large explosion could be heard in the distance. After the first one, multiple more could be heard. People started to scream and others started to scatter. Sasuke immediately knew what was going on.

Konoha was being attacked.

Everybody flinched at the sound of harsh thunder.


End file.
